Pace

Let it be known that I love Mumford and Sons. I would gladly feed their pet dogs or turtles (if they have any) in exchange for hearing them play live. Yes. I would. Don’t judge me.

As it so happens, their new album came out last week and I have been listening to it constantly since Sept. 25th when I received it in the mail, at work, because I pre-ordered it that way. Again, I love Mumford and Sons.

Because I've been listening to it straight for the last week, all of the songs are on repeat in my brain whenever I am not listening to them. The only time this occurs is when I am running, because I like listening to nature when I run. Well, nature sounds have taken refuge for a different day in the future when the Mumford songs in my head have taken a break. (who knows when that will be) Anyways, I digress. The moral of my story is that whatever I have been doing for the past week has been done while Mumford is blasting loudly in my ears with our without headphones.

Yesterday was no different. Every Wednesday for a few weeks in the fall, there are trail races that take place all over Duluth. You pay $1 and run a race, ranging from 3 miles to upwards of 6 miles. THIS IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR MONEY IN DULUTH. In my opinion, at least. :) And so, being that it was Wednesday yesterday, I got to run in the woods with friends and at the same time, have Mumford on repeat.

The race was in a little nature area by the UMD campus. One that has forever been used for 5k’s promoting spring and fall health to the many college students. I’ve ran the course a few other times. It has usually kicked my behind because they make you run 2 laps in this nature area while scaling the same mountain hill, twice. I don’t like running laps, because what usually happens to me is that I blast through the first lap, and die a slow running death during the second lap. Yeah. Painful.

Except that last night was different. I had just finished a ridiculously stupid day at work and had a bit of pent-up energy. I bicycled to the race, was good and warm, had an amazing cheering section there for me, and took off when they said ‘go’. I didn’t think about the lame hills ahead. I just paced myself to what felt good. I paced myself to the music of Mumford. And when I was racing up the mountain hill (twice) and all the blood was running to other parts of my body, which left me deaf in one ear, (yes, really, I lose hearing in my right ear when I’m running as hard as I can) I made it to the top without stopping. Because I was pacing to the beautiful music of Mumford. Bless them.

I hope all of you have a band that makes you just as happy. If you don’t, start listening to Mumford. They will make your heart happy.

I promise.

Really, go now, and check out their new album. Especially tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12.

Cheers!